With increasing popularity of instant information exchange over one or more communications networks across multiple continents, a high-speed communications network is required to handle voluminous information, which may include voice, video, data, and/or a combination of voice, video, and data. A high-speed communications network typically includes network computing devices such as bridges, hubs, routers, and switches, for routing and directing large number of data packets or bit streams through network traffics between source nodes and destination nodes.
For instance, information pertaining to the transfer of packet(s) through the network is usually embedded within one or more packets. Each packet traveling through a network can typically be treated independently from other packets in a bit stream. Each router within a network processes incoming packets and determines where the packet(s) should be forwarded. In a high-speed computing network environment, the speed of packet processing or routing can be critical in determining the performance of overall network system.
To process a large amount of data through network traffics, a network processing server, which typically includes an array of computing and/or searching device, is used to handle the data in a timely manner. As the demand of data processing increases, additional computing power is needed. A problem associated with employing conventional computers or processing devices is that conventional computers or processing devices are inefficient in handling network data processing. For instance, an ordinary computer is built with a great deal of embedded system policies. For example, the policy may involve network routing algorithms, instruction sets, searching algorithms, running application programs, displaying videos, and so forth. Each of the policy elements makes the machine more rigid and less flexible. Although a conventional computer is capable of performing many tasks, it is inefficient to handle data processing over a communications network.